The University of Louisiana at Lafayette's Office of Student Health Services has a new diagnostic tool: an electrocardiogram machine. Electrocardiograms, or EKGS, are used to measure the heart's electrical activity. The Cardiovascular Institute of the South recently donated the machine to the campus health clinic.
"The availability of this technology will help us provide quality care for students, who are our patients," said Dr. Marelle Yongue, the clinic's director. Students use Student Health Services for minor injuries and illnesses, minor surgeries, physical examinations and immunizations. It also provides patient education. The clinic is housed in the Saucier Wellness Center on the University campus.
Before the donation, patients who needed an EKG were referred to area hospitals, Yongue said. "Now, it's more convenient for our patients, because we can do the test here and fax the result to be read by an expert."
The gift was also a financial boon. The machine, which costs about $2,000, was not in the clinic's budget, Yongue explained.
The Cardiovascular Institute of the South is a group of cardiologists who represent nearly every specialty in heart and circulatory medicine. It serves communities throughout Louisiana, as well as national and international patients, at its 14 clinics.
The CIS supports the University in other ways. For example, provides educational seminars for nursing students and care for student-athletes.
"This donation is evidence of its continued commitment to UL Lafayette," Yongue added.
Shown, from left, Dr. John Patterson presents an EKG machine to Dr. Marelle Yongue, director of UL Lafayette's Student Health Services, and Julia Lognion, nurse supervisor for Student Health Services.